Pocket
by luvkirby4ever
Summary: It is quite possible that there is no roommate quite as annoying as Edward Nygma. It is also quite possible that there is no roommate who pockets his emotions quite like Oswald Cobblepot. Rated T to be safe.
1. Reluctant Familiarity

**Author's note: Special thanks to oswaldsandwich for the prompt!**

Oswald Cobblepot awoke on a couch, room darkened with the early morning's sunless sky. He turned over, eyes scanning the room until he found the clock on the wall. ' _4:30'_ it read.

 _Close enough._

He sat up, the blanket and clothes that resided on the couch surrounding his thin body. Walking to the bathroom- his limp preventing complete stealth- he glanced back across the room. Ed lay peacefully still in his bed, the gentle pattern of breathing undisturbed by Penguin's noisy gait. Oswald watched him for a brief moment before turning back to the bathroom.

It had been several weeks since he moved into Edward Nygma's apartment. They had decided that this was the best arrangement for the both of them, since by staying together Oswald could lay low from the law while Ed gathered valuable advice from him.

Advice about murder. At least, that's what Penguin preferred to think.

He decided to ready himself for the day instead of returning to sleep. After getting dressed, he sat deep in thought on the couch. He was still there when Ed woke up a couple of hours later.

"Good morning, my fowl friend," Ed said, voice already perky and energetic. Oswald's response of complete silence only provoked his spirit.

"Get it? Because ' _fowl_ ' refers to birds, and you're also a notorious-"

"I got it," he cut in. "Morning to you too, I guess." He waved a hand dismissively.

Edward walked around the bed to the couch and placed an arm around Oswald's shoulder. He flinched, turning his neck to look at Ed. He was wearing long pajama pants and a t-shirt, his ordinarily neat hair somewhat tousled with sleep.

"What's the matter? Would you like some coffee this morning?"

"No, no-nothing's- I mean-" he stuttered, incredibly uncomfortable with the sudden breach of personal space.

"I'll begin preparations immediately," Ed released his arm and made his way to the makeshift kitchen area.

"Really- don't trouble yourself."

"That's alright- more for me."

Penguin chuckled. "Like you need any."

Ed smiled as he continued on, pulling the necessary objects needed for coffee making from their various locations. Oswald watched in silence as he worked, the man humming a familiar tune as he readied the coffee. Oswald looked down at the jacket he was wearing, his fingers running wistfully along the fabric.

The coffee gurgled as it began the process of brewing. Ed plopped down on the couch next to Penguin, his disregard for personal space so great that their thighs touched.

"So... what's on today's agenda?"

"Hm?"

"Well, I was thinking of stopping for some takeout for lunch. Want me to pick you up anything?"

He shook his head. "I'm heading downtown for something so I'm not sure when I'll be back."

"I could bring you something for dinner, if you'd like."

"I'm good, thanks."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, the sound coffee dripping into the pot making it slightly more bearable. Ed reached a hand out, examining the various jackets spread along the couch.

"I've got plenty of space in the closet for these. It might make you feel a little more at home if you-" The coffee maker beeped, indicating that it was ready. With an excited cry he jumped up. "I'll be right back."

He soon returned with two glasses and set them on the table beside the couch, returning to his position next to his discomforted roommate.

"Careful, it's hot."

"Thanks," Oswald took a glass and raised it slowly to his face. Noticing the eccentric grin on Ed's face he stopped himself short, shooting him a skeptical look.

"Oh, don't worry- I didn't poison it or anything," he laughed, still smiling.

Oswald sighed, then took a cautious sip. Then another. He looked up at Ed, who was transfixed on him.

"What did you put in it?"

"Cinnamon. Pretty good, if I were to be so bold to say so."

"Yeah," he said, blowing the surface of the liquid in an attempt to cool it. They continued with small talk as they consumed their coffee, Oswald seemingly less tense than before. After a while he handed Ed the cup and stood.

"Well, I must be going," he hobbled to the door.

"Oh wait-" Ed called, Oswald turning in the doorway in response. "You forgot your key."

"Oh, yeah." He grabbed the key from off a nearby table, sliding it in the pocket of his pants. "See you later."

"Don't get arrested while you're gone!" he shouted as the door shut behind Oswald.

"I don't plan to!" came the somewhat muffled response beyond the closed door.

Ed sat for a minute, quietly taking in the moment. He looked at the coffee cup Oswald had handed him, now empty, and chuckled to himself.

" _One step at a time, Nygma. One step at a time..._ "


	2. Egg Nygma

_"The situation is dire, sir, I don't think there's much more we can do."_

 _"At this point an extraction is not only imminent, but necessary."_

 _"But **sir** -"_

 _"Nurse, we must commence the operation immedi-"_

"Would you knock that off?" Penguin looked up from the newspaper he was reading. Situated at the table, Ed had various jars and pans filled with eggs. While he had been making quite a bit of noise over the unbroken egg bathed in vinegar earlier, Ed's interest was now directed at the egg yolk/white mixture oozing out in front of him.

"Are you saying you're finally up for a riddle?"

"Can't you just- I don't know- go plan a murder or something?"

"Oh, but you know better than anyone that timing can make or break somebody," he said, carefully directing a pipette at the egg yolk in front of him. "And right now, my devious friend, I'm lying in wait."

Penguin sighed, returning back to the newspaper in his hands. Ed smiled as he continued on with his egg operation.

He had been so enveloped in his fantasy that he hardly noticed when Oswald left. It wasn't until his cellphone buzzed that he snapped out of it. He had gotten a text message from Oswald:

 _Ed, could you leave the spare key somewhere like under the doormat? I forgot mine on the table. Thanks._

Edward looked up, examining the room. His eyes, glossing over the table where the key had been left, focused on the couch. Still littered with clothes, he looked it over carefully before dropping his gaze back to his cell phone.

 _Noworries- I've already taken care of it for you :-)_

He set his phone aside, looking down at his experiment.

 _"Now, where were we, doctor?"_


	3. Key on my Sleeve, Heart in my Pocket

It was the early afternoon when Oswald returned to the hallway outside of Ed's apartment. As he approached the door, his stomach knotted at the sight of a single sticky note displayed on the surface.

 _Out of sight, out of mind-_  
 _Yet always there by your side._  
 _So long as you keep me near,_  
 _I'll be here._  
 _Hip, breast, or thigh-_  
 _What am I?_

A huge problem, that's what it was.

Bending down, he flipped over the doormat. Nothing. He slapped a hand sharply to the door, his frustration quickly rising.

"ED! ED- ARE YOU THERE?" No response, of course- at this hour Ed would be down at the GCPD precinct. He hastily pulled out his phone from his pants and began typing a text message.

 _WHERE IS THE KEY?_ He stood a minute, seething silently as he waited for a response. Nothing. He dialed Ed's phone, only to be directed to his voicemail.

"ED!" he started loudly, then looked behind him cautiously. He lowered his voice to a fierce whisper. "You know that I'm trying to lay low here! I can't just loiter here for few hours while I wait for you to get home! WHERE. IS. THE. KEY?" He hung up the phone bitterly, flip phone cover quickly snapping shut.

He turned back to the riddle. As much as he didn't want to encourage Ed's game, it seemed to be a much better option than standing outside the room all afternoon. Oswald read the note again.

 _Out of sight, out of mind-_  
 _Yet always there by your side._  
 _So long as you keep me near,_  
 _I'll be here._  
 _Hip, breast, or thigh-_  
 _What am I?_

He looked to his sides. There was really nothing in the hallway that could have concealed a key- no couches or tables to hide things in.

"Breast? Thigh? _I swear, Edward-_ " he murmured viciously to himself, "if you're making a bird joke I'm _going_ to find a way to kill..." he trailed off, suddenly distracted by a thought.

"A pocket." He reached his hands into his trouser pockets only to pull out his cell phone from earlier. Digging his hands into his jacket, he pulled out his wallet. He opened it. Still nothing.

"There's no way..." he pulled back the sides of his jacket, revealing the hidden pockets on the inner side. It was a great place to keep switchblades and guns... and in this case a key.

He pulled the key from the pocket and and inserted it into the door. With a click the lock opened. He sighed, exasperated, pulling the note from the door and shoving it into his pocket with the key. As he closed the door behind him, his phone vibrated against his side.

 _So... how's it going? ;-)_

 _I'm going to burn your chemistry set._

 _Oh good, so you made it inside._

 _I'll do it. Watch me._

 _Love you too. Ttyl._

Oswald flopped on the couch, wondering why he even bothered putting up with such an enigmatic weirdo in the first place. He looked over has phone then, fingers hovering hesitantly over the keypad, hit 'send'.

 _Love you too._

 **Author's note: It wouldn't let me save the document with the "less than" symbol, so I'd like to point out that Ed's text that reads "Love you too. Ttyl" is supposed to have the text symbol for a heart (the "less than" symbol followed by the number 3) instead of the word love. It was based loosely on text conversations my sister and I have- sarcastic replies/good-spirited name-calling followed by "love you too" or "[heart symbol] u 2".**


	4. Weakness and Strength

Ed stood outside the apartment door, key in one hand and large plastic bag in the other. As his hand reached to open the door he stopped. From the other side he could hear the melancholy notes of a piano, a sorrowful elegy accompanied by a voice.

 _"...my, my mother's love._  
 _I light another candle,_  
 _Dry the tears from my face..."_

He leaned his head against the door, listening intently. He decided to wait until Oswald finished the verse before moving, intentionally jingling his keys loudly as a way to announce his presence. Ed gave him another few seconds by fumbling with his key in the lock before entering.

"I've got dinner," he announced, holding up the bag of takeout food as he entered. Oswald had turned himself around to face the door, eyes slightly puffy and red.

"Just because you've brought an apology dinner doesn't mean I'll spare your chemistry set."

" _Apology_?" Ed laughed, setting the boxes of food on the table, "Oh, no- this is a reward for figuring out my little riddle."

Oswald grinned, despite himself.

Dinner was full of spirited conversation and debate about a range of subjects; from future crime schemes to trivial chitchat their chemistry made even the most mundane of topics enjoyable. As the evening continued on, sky long past dark, they found themselves still seated at the table, conversation ebbing and flowing as drowsiness set in.

"I've been wondering," Oswald said, pushing aside a bottle of cheap wine, "how did you get that key in my pocket?"

"Oh, that? That key has been in there for some time now. Probably a week and a half, give or take a few days."

"How did you know to put it in there?"

"I didn't," he confessed, placing his pair of chopsticks near the emptied boxes of food. "It was more guesswork than anything, since I don't have sufficient data to work with."

"I- _what_?"

"You see, I've been observing you for the last month or so and noticed a curious habit of yours. On days where you wear that jacket," he gestured to Oswald's top, "you are seven percent more likely to forget your keys on that day. That doesn't sound like much, but scientifically that is an incredibly significant amount."

"Seriously?"

"I haven't spent enough time with you to be able to share that observation with full confidence, though I noticed the pattern and decided to place the key in your inner pocket in case you'd lock yourself out."

"That's... wow. That's really observant."

Ed smiled. "Though that begs the question- why that jacket?"

Oswald looked down, running his finger along the suit as he spoke, "My... this was one of my mother's particular favorites." His voice quivered slightly. "She always said it showed how much I had grown up, how proud it made her..." he trailed off, a sudden silence in the room.

Ed stood and walked to the couch. He pat the cushion beside him, a friendly gesture for Oswald to join him. After a moment's hesitation he sat down beside the other man. Ed wrapped his arm around his shoulders, rubbing Oswald's arm with his hand.

"...You once said that some people find strength in love," Oswald spoke, eyes staring blankly at the wall ahead of him, "but I can't even begin to understand that. All it does it makes me feel sick, weak..." he swallowed, trying to shove his emotions down his throat. "How could this possibly give people strength?"

Ed stopped, hand gripped firmly but gently on his arm. He was silent for a moment, deep in thought.

"Maybe," he reached a hand up to Oswald's bangs, running his hand through his hair, "maybe that's something we can try to figure out together."

Oswald turned, looking Ed in the eyes. Their gaze held for a few seconds before Oswald's composure broke. With a swift movement Oswald wrapped his arms around Ed, forehead resting in the crook of his neck and chin on his chest. Ed wrapped an arm around Oswald's back, his other hand patting the back of his head. Oswald cried quietly into Ed's sweater, his tears drying on the soft material.

Ed left him cry, holding him tight. Eventually, as the sobs subsided, he leaned his head forward, pulling his chin back. He gave a small, gentle kiss- his lips gently touching the top of Oswald's head. His lips lingered for a few moments before pulling away.

Oswald released his arms from around Ed and straightened his back. He looked up at Ed, small smile lining the man's face, and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Thank you."

Edward nodded, running his hand through Oswald's hair one final time before pulling himself up from the couch. He walked over to the table, grabbing food boxes from earlier and tossing them in the garbage. Oswald watched, his body slumping with sudden fatigue.

"You're always welcome to use my bed," Ed said, taking notice of his weariness.

"It's alright," he said, easing his body down onto the couch and rolling onto his side.

Nygma sighed. "Well, if you're going to sleep there at least change out of your suit."


End file.
